Hornets fall, Weigle rejoices in the mud

Tuesday

Oct 8, 2013 at 8:23 AMOct 8, 2013 at 8:49 AM

By Phillip Morgan pmorgan@hillsdale.netHILLSDALE - In a gritty, heated game, the Hillsdale Hornets clawed back from a 4-1 deficit but lost to the the Quincy Orioles, 5-3.Right up to the final minutes the defenses made slide tackles, the midfielders pushed each other for loose balls, and the forwards charged the net.“I think it was just hard work,” senior Bailey Boyd said of the Hornets’ comeback.The Hornets fell 4 to 1 early.“I wish we had began with more energy at the beginning,” Hillsdale senior Lucas Miller said.Head coach Al Philipp said the referees missed a blatant offsides call on Orioles’ second goal.As the game wore on, the Hornets began to pick up their pace.“Once the other team gets tired, we get stronger,” Al Philipp said.Thanks to senior Lucas Miller’s second goal of the game, and a goal off a penalty kick by Trevor Cleavanger, they managed to hang around.Miller’s goal, which made the score 4-2, about midway through the second-half, came off a beautiful corner kick from midfielder Joe Philipp. Philipp, who took several hard hits from the Quincy defense, composed himself and delivered a beautiful ball. “There was a jumble of guys,” Miller said. “I was able to put my head on it.” It was Miller’s fourth goal of the season.It was too little too late for the Hornets, though.The team will play at Jonesville on Wednesday before facing a Western Division team for a cross over game on Friday.The Hornets open the district playoffs at Hanover-Horton next Monday, Oct. 14. Weigle scores four goals in Colt’s victory A muddy Hanover-Horton pitch slowed just about everyone down, except for Hillsdale Academy forward Jere Weigle.Weigle scored the first goal of the game on a pass from senior Liam Wolfram. Then, with a 2-1 Colts’ lead going into the second half, Weigle busted the game open. He scored three unassisted goals, as the Colts went on to win 5-1.“He worked really hard,” Colts’ assistant coach Tim Sullivan said.Wolfram accounted for the other goal, while forward Alex Wood picked up an assist on the play. Isaac York scored the Comets’ lone goal.Despite thelopsided score, Sullivan said the conditions and their opponents made for a hard-fought night of soccer.“It was not an easy game,” Sullivan said. “They competed well.”Since the Colts won their division, they will play the winners of the Western Division in a crossover game on Thursday. The Colts drew a bye for the first round of districts. They will kick off post season play next Wednesday.